As we wind down the year and settle into the holiday cheer of family gatherings, movie marathons and an unending parade of sweets, here's a look back on 2014 from your friends at Core77. Over the next two weeks we'll be rounding up our favorite stories from the past year and revisiting the ideas and innovations that have captured our imagination.

It's been an exciting year of the big and small—from the publication of our first book, Designing Here/Now to the publication of our first newspaper, the Design Daily for New York Design Week. And who could forget the Core77 Conference? With speakers like Carla Diana, Michael DiTullo, Casey Neistat and Jordan Brandt, (watch their presentations here!) 2014's Object Culture conference provided a snapshot of the changing shape of product design and an opportunity to connect with familiar faces and meet new friends.

We've had a tremendous year at Core77 and can't wait to share another year with you. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, here's some required reading—a roundup of our top 15 stories to read before 2015.

13. Knee Defender: Industrial Design Gone Awry? [Editorial Note: Although this post was originally published in 2013, the product became a news story in 2014 when a plane was grounded due to an altercation involving the Knee Defender]

Locale for Herman Miller (2013). Images courtesy of Industrial Facility unless otherwise notedGiven the current vogue for local, handwrought, artisanal or otherwise bespoke goods, the tide has effectively turned against mass production as millennials forgo the efficiencies of economies of scale in favor of purportedly more meaningful modes. The appeal...

I'd heard that cycling had caught on in London, but somehow I wasn't expecting the shoals of A.M. bike commuters at every intersection in the city center as I was shuttled across town, groggy from the red-eye but alert to my new surroundings. Given the preponderance of helmets, high-viz gear...

This is the first of a multi-part look at lightweight backpacking and the designers who love it.Ultralight is a challenging niche within both the outdoor community and the outdoor industry. Ultralight users are often out on the trail or mountain for weeks on end, and ultralight designers have to get...